The invention relates generally to a method of injection molding a plastic article, and more particularly to a method of injection molding a plastic article where edges of a first and second laminate are positioned over a recess of a first mold section and a protrusion of a second mold section pushes the edges into the recess upon the first mold section and the second mold section being clamped together.
The invention also relates generally to an injection molded plastic article, and more particularly to an injection molded plastic article including a plastic member having a ridge, wherein a first portion of the plastic member is partially absorbed into and is in bonded engagement with at least a portion of a first laminate which has an edge imbedded in the ridge, and a second portion of the plastic member is partially absorbed into and is in bonded engagement with at least a portion of a second laminate which has an edge also imbedded in the ridge.
In the past, it has not been possible, within an injection molding process, to provide that laminates such as textile, film, carpet or vinyl are bonded to a plastic member having a ridge where edges of the laminates are imbedded in the ridge. Instead, first a plastic member is typically molded using conventional plastic injection molding techniques wherein a first mold section and a second mold section are provided. Then, the first mold section and the second mold section are clamped together to form a mold cavity therebetween, and preferably the mold cavity is shaped such that the resulting plastic member will have a ridge. Next, a plastic material is injected into the mold cavity, and the plastic material is allowed to at least partially cure before the first mold section and the second mold section are unclamped and the resulting plastic member is removed from the mold cavity. As mentioned, if the mold cavity is shaped as such, the resulting molded plastic member will have a ridge.
After the resulting plastic member is removed from the mold cavity, the laminates are typically stitched, glued, sewn, or otherwise secured onto the molded plastic member, and the edges of the laminates are likewise stitched, glued, sewn, or otherwise secured into the ridge. As a result of the laminates being added as a secondary operation, the laminates generally are not bonded extremely securely to the molded plastic member. Furthermore, because the edges of the laminates are bonded into the ridge as an operation secondary to the molding of the plastic article, the edges of the laminates are not typically secured into the ridge extremely securely and are certainly not truly imbedded into the ridge. As a result, the edges of the laminates may readily remove from the ridge of the plastic member when a load is applied to the article. Obviously, this removal of an edge of a laminate from the ridge of the plastic member would likely diminish the aesthetic appearance of the article in general, and would likely increase the probability that the laminate will further remove from the plastic member upon subsequent application of another load to the article.
The difficulties discussed hereinabove are substantially eliminated by the present invention.